my Mom would always make fruit cakes around the holidays. my Dad would always take one and store it in liquor for many months and then finally eat it, rationing it out a bit so it would last longer.
Statistics: Posted by broden — Tue Aug 15, 2017 7:38 pm
my Mom would always make fruit cakes around the holidays. my Dad would always take one and store it in liquor for many months and then finally eat it, rationing it out a bit so it would last longer.
Statistics: Posted by broden — Tue Aug 15, 2017 7:38 pm
fresh fruitcake isn’t very good until it has been soaked with brandy or rum or both. It should sit for at least three months. Traditionally, fruit cake was made during the Autumn harvest when fruit was plentiful. Aging fruitcake greatly improves it’s flavor. Unfortunately most commercial fruitcakes are poorly lacking in flavor and aroma due to their quick to market approach.
Statistics: Posted by sageprice — Tue Aug 15, 2017 1:35 pm
fresh fruitcake isn’t very good until it has been soaked with brandy or rum or both. It should sit for at least three months. Traditionally, fruit cake was made during the Autumn harvest when fruit was plentiful. Aging fruitcake greatly improves it’s flavor. Unfortunately most commercial fruitcakes are poorly lacking in flavor and aroma due to their quick to market approach.
Statistics: Posted by sageprice — Tue Aug 15, 2017 1:35 pm
I’m English. I *LOVE* fruitcake!! My mom would make a fruitcake for every Christmas. And it was the BEST! Moist. Fruity. Full of liquor. Covered in Almond paste and Royal icing. Yummmmm! It would last a long time … if we didn’t eat it all!
When I got married, my mom made me a fruitcake for our wedding cake, at home. Decorated it with the silver beads & wedding ornaments that are traditional, in England. I’m so sad, because she wasn’t the kind of mom who encouraged you to help her in the kitchen or teach you how to do things. Everything I know how to do, I’ve had to teach myself. So … I never learned how to make that yummy fruitcake. And the tattered, yellowed Bistro cookbook that she brought with her,from England to use for her recipe, has disappeared (I think my SIL has it 
).
When I went to England, on a trip with our soccer playing son … one of the first things I bought was a piece of REAL English fruitcake to eat on the way to the hotel. The stuff you get in America that is called ‘fruitcake’ is awful. Fruitcake has gotten a bad rap here. 🙁
Statistics: Posted by ReadyMom — Tue Aug 15, 2017 10:17 am
I’m English. I *LOVE* fruitcake!! My mom would make a fruitcake for every Christmas. And it was the BEST! Moist. Fruity. Full of liquor. Covered in Almond paste and Royal icing. Yummmmm! It would last a long time … if we didn’t eat it all!
When I got married, my mom made me a fruitcake for our wedding cake, at home. Decorated it with the silver beads & wedding ornaments that are traditional, in England. I’m so sad, because she wasn’t the kind of mom who encouraged you to help her in the kitchen or teach you how to do things. Everything I know how to do, I’ve had to teach myself. So … I never learned how to make that yummy fruitcake. And the tattered, yellowed Bistro cookbook that she brought with her,from England to use for her recipe, has disappeared (I think my SIL has it ).
When I went to England, on a trip with our soccer playing son … one of the first things I bought was a piece of REAL English fruitcake to eat on the way to the hotel. The stuff you get in America that is called ‘fruitcake’ is awful. Fruitcake has gotten a bad rap here. 🙁
Statistics: Posted by ReadyMom — Tue Aug 15, 2017 10:17 am
Husband got an old gas stove back that FIL used to have and I’m talking old. It’s
very very basic but also has a useable oven. Hubby wants to sit it up outside for me
to can on. Need to clean it up and try out the oven.
Statistics: Posted by PatrioticStabilist — Tue Aug 15, 2017 7:33 am
Husband got an old gas stove back that FIL used to have and I’m talking old. It’s
very very basic but also has a useable oven. Hubby wants to sit it up outside for me
to can on. Need to clean it up and try out the oven.
Statistics: Posted by PatrioticStabilist — Tue Aug 15, 2017 7:33 am
I saw a recipe for fruit cake that was a century old. It had none of the crap that goes into one now-a-days. It was a basic cake with dried cherries,currants,blueberries and raisins. Then it was drenched in brandy or rum.
I’m thinking the liquor helped preserve it lol
It sounds good though
Statistics: Posted by Genevieve — Tue Aug 15, 2017 5:40 am
I saw a recipe for fruit cake that was a century old. It had none of the crap that goes into one now-a-days. It was a basic cake with dried cherries,currants,blueberries and raisins. Then it was drenched in brandy or rum.
I’m thinking the liquor helped preserve it lol
It sounds good though
Statistics: Posted by Genevieve — Tue Aug 15, 2017 5:40 am
I suspect it lasted that long because it was basically in a freezer all that time based on where it was found….
For those if us living outside the artic we need to take more active steps to preserve fruitcake. Decent article about that covers shelf life extension of fruitcake:
https://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/fruitcakesec.htm
That said, I’m not planning on storing fruitcake at all, let alone long term. Store what you eat and all that… 
Statistics: Posted by dmwalsh568 — Mon Aug 14, 2017 5:19 pm
I suspect it lasted that long because it was basically in a freezer all that time based on where it was found….
For those if us living outside the artic we need to take more active steps to preserve fruitcake. Decent article about that covers shelf life extension of fruitcake:
https://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/fruitcakesec.htm
That said, I’m not planning on storing fruitcake at all, let alone long term. Store what you eat and all that…
Statistics: Posted by dmwalsh568 — Mon Aug 14, 2017 5:19 pm
I suspect it lasted that long because it was basically in a freezer all that time based on where it was found….
For those if us living outside the artic we need to take more active steps to preserve fruitcake. Decent article about that covers shelf life extension of fruitcake:
https://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/fruitcakesec.htm
That said, I’m not planning on storing fruitcake at all, let alone long term. Store what you eat and all that…
Statistics: Posted by dmwalsh568 — Mon Aug 14, 2017 5:19 pm
Researchers Find 100-Year-Old Antarctic Fruitcake in ‘Excellent Condition’http://mentalfloss.com/article/503553/r … -condition
If you want a snack that really won’t go bad, consider the fruitcake. Conservationists working with artifacts from Cape Adare, Antarctica, just discovered a remarkably well-preserved fruitcake dating back a full century, according to Gizmodo.
follow above link for full article
Statistics: Posted by broden — Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:59 pm
Researchers Find 100-Year-Old Antarctic Fruitcake in ‘Excellent Condition’http://mentalfloss.com/article/503553/r … -condition
If you want a snack that really won’t go bad, consider the fruitcake. Conservationists working with artifacts from Cape Adare, Antarctica, just discovered a remarkably well-preserved fruitcake dating back a full century, according to Gizmodo.
follow above link for full article
Statistics: Posted by broden — Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:59 pm
Researchers Find 100-Year-Old Antarctic Fruitcake in ‘Excellent Condition’http://mentalfloss.com/article/503553/r … -condition
If you want a snack that really won’t go bad, consider the fruitcake. Conservationists working with artifacts from Cape Adare, Antarctica, just discovered a remarkably well-preserved fruitcake dating back a full century, according to Gizmodo.
follow above link for full article
Statistics: Posted by broden — Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:59 pm
Researchers Find 100-Year-Old Antarctic Fruitcake in ‘Excellent Condition’http://mentalfloss.com/article/503553/r … -condition
If you want a snack that really won’t go bad, consider the fruitcake. Conservationists working with artifacts from Cape Adare, Antarctica, just discovered a remarkably well-preserved fruitcake dating back a full century, according to Gizmodo.
follow above link for full article
Statistics: Posted by broden — Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:59 pm
We have 2 100 pound tanks will run my kitchen stove for about a year, I love to cook with
propane. We also have an old wood stove at MIL’s we could use if we needed to and there is plenty
of wood to be had here. Likely have to install it to heat the house and cook also, but it would
work. Wonder if we should buy and stock up on new stove pipes and damper just in case.
We have 3 generators both gas and diesel but may not be able to get more fuel for them after
awhile. Will have to run them off and on for refrigeration. With no central heating system
eventually basement would be cool enough to keep a lot of foods.
Statistics: Posted by PatrioticStabilist — Sun Aug 13, 2017 1:36 am
We have 2 100 pound tanks will run my kitchen stove for about a year, I love to cook with
propane. We also have an old wood stove at MIL’s we could use if we needed to and there is plenty
of wood to be had here. Likely have to install it to heat the house and cook also, but it would
work. Wonder if we should buy and stock up on new stove pipes and damper just in case.
We have 3 generators both gas and diesel but may not be able to get more fuel for them after
awhile. Will have to run them off and on for refrigeration. With no central heating system
eventually basement would be cool enough to keep a lot of foods.
Statistics: Posted by PatrioticStabilist — Sun Aug 13, 2017 1:36 am
propane is easy to store and never goes bad. 200 lbs will run a stove for a L-O-N-G time.
Statistics: Posted by sageprice — Sat Aug 12, 2017 1:21 pm
propane is easy to store and never goes bad. 200 lbs will run a stove for a L-O-N-G time.
Statistics: Posted by sageprice — Sat Aug 12, 2017 1:21 pm
alcohol stoves are easy with no smoke a wind shield cuts the amount of light. Aluminum foil in a bottle with lye, produces enough hydrogen to cook with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf2UpQNJ9q4 The flames will be almost invisible once passed through a bubbler.
On the completely flameless side , Salt impregnated dried paper towels sandwiched between sheets of aluminum foil and stapled through, will get very hot when wet with even dirty watter.
Short a car battery through a carbon rod.
Statistics: Posted by sageprice — Sat Aug 12, 2017 1:17 pm
alcohol stoves are easy with no smoke a wind shield cuts the amount of light. Aluminum foil in a bottle with lye, produces enough hydrogen to cook with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf2UpQNJ9q4 The flames will be almost invisible once passed through a bubbler.
On the completely flameless side , Salt impregnated dried paper towels sandwiched between sheets of aluminum foil and stapled through, will get very hot when wet with even dirty watter.
Short a car battery through a carbon rod.
Statistics: Posted by sageprice — Sat Aug 12, 2017 1:17 pm
alcohol stoves are easy with no smoke a wind shield cuts the amount of light. Aluminum foil in a bottle with lye, produces enough hydrogen to cook with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf2UpQNJ9q4 The flames will be almost invisible once passed through a bubbler.
On the completely flameless side , Salt impregnated dried paper towels sandwiched between sheets of aluminum foil and stapled through, will get very hot when wet with even dirty watter.
Short a car battery through a carbon rod.
Statistics: Posted by sageprice — Sat Aug 12, 2017 1:17 pm
Zero Source wrote:
Not sure where this belongs, so I will start here.I have been looking at MREs and how the heaters work. It appears there is a chemical in the bottom of the pouch that has an exothermic reaction when water is added.
I see that the heating pouches, with chemical, are available by themselves. You can get them separately from the MRE kits.
My question is, can you buy the chemical in a stand alone tablet form?
https://theepicenter.com/mre-flameless- … dozen.html
Statistics: Posted by Illini Warrior — Wed Aug 09, 2017 4:45 pm
Zero Source wrote:
Not sure where this belongs, so I will start here.I have been looking at MREs and how the heaters work. It appears there is a chemical in the bottom of the pouch that has an exothermic reaction when water is added.
I see that the heating pouches, with chemical, are available by themselves. You can get them separately from the MRE kits.
My question is, can you buy the chemical in a stand alone tablet form?
https://theepicenter.com/mre-flameless- … dozen.html
Statistics: Posted by Illini Warrior — Wed Aug 09, 2017 4:45 pm
Whole house is electric (no gas utility in the area, and opted to not go with having a propane truck coming to the house) with grid-tied Solar with large battery backup. The whole house is on battery backup if necessary, but for the range, the AC/furnace, and the clothes drier, as those 220V beasts will drain the batteries pronto. The well pump is 220V, but is on the battery, as is the fridge.
Small 110V cooktop is in the back of the pantry for if / when needed.
If everything just goes to hell, I’ve got a rocket stove that I’ve cooked a great deal on; a limb lopper and woods are 20′ outside the door.
The only “gas” I’ve got is a couple of white gas cookstoves, and a couple of gallons of fuel.
Statistics: Posted by SurvivIt — Wed Aug 09, 2017 3:43 pm
Whole house is electric (no gas utility in the area, and opted to not go with having a propane truck coming to the house) with grid-tied Solar with large battery backup. The whole house is on battery backup if necessary, but for the range, the AC/furnace, and the clothes drier, as those 220V beasts will drain the batteries pronto. The well pump is 220V, but is on the battery, as is the fridge.
Small 110V cooktop is in the back of the pantry for if / when needed.
If everything just goes to hell, I’ve got a rocket stove that I’ve cooked a great deal on; a limb lopper and woods are 20′ outside the door.
The only “gas” I’ve got is a couple of white gas cookstoves, and a couple of gallons of fuel.
Statistics: Posted by SurvivIt — Wed Aug 09, 2017 3:43 pm
Thanks for the replies.
rickdun wrote:
Did you think of trying those (duraflame logs), buy a bundle and cut them to the size you want and see if they would work for ya.
That is a darn good idea. Cheaper than buying the small solid fuel tabs.
Statistics: Posted by Zero Source — Wed Aug 09, 2017 2:55 pm
Thanks for the replies.
rickdun wrote:
Did you think of trying those (duraflame logs), buy a bundle and cut them to the size you want and see if they would work for ya.
That is a darn good idea. Cheaper than buying the small solid fuel tabs.
Statistics: Posted by Zero Source — Wed Aug 09, 2017 2:55 pm
Zero, in Vietnam our C-rations contained one tablet that heated our canned food, like Farmer said, check out the army surplus stores.
Did you think of trying those (duraflame logs), buy a bundle and cut them to the size you want and see if they would work for ya.
If you try them, let us know if they work or not.
Statistics: Posted by rickdun — Wed Aug 09, 2017 2:17 pm
Zero, in Vietnam our C-rations contained one tablet that heated our canned food, like Farmer said, check out the army surplus stores.
Did you think of trying those (duraflame logs), buy a bundle and cut them to the size you want and see if they would work for ya.
If you try them, let us know if they work or not.
Statistics: Posted by rickdun — Wed Aug 09, 2017 2:17 pm
I don’t know if you buy it like that ,but the Army Surplus store would be were I would look first..
Try the Preppers Asylum.com they might have it
Statistics: Posted by farmer_dude48 — Wed Aug 09, 2017 1:46 pm
I don’t know if you buy it like that ,but the Army Surplus store would be were I would look first..
Try the Preppers Asylum.com they might have it
Statistics: Posted by farmer_dude48 — Wed Aug 09, 2017 1:46 pm
Not sure where this belongs, so I will start here.
I have been looking at MREs and how the heaters work. It appears there is a chemical in the bottom of the pouch that has an exothermic reaction when water is added.
I see that the heating pouches, with chemical, are available by themselves. You can get them separately from the MRE kits.
My question is, can you buy the chemical in a stand alone tablet form?
Statistics: Posted by Zero Source — Wed Aug 09, 2017 11:52 am
Not sure where this belongs, so I will start here.
I have been looking at MREs and how the heaters work. It appears there is a chemical in the bottom of the pouch that has an exothermic reaction when water is added.
I see that the heating pouches, with chemical, are available by themselves. You can get them separately from the MRE kits.
My question is, can you buy the chemical in a stand alone tablet form?
Statistics: Posted by Zero Source — Wed Aug 09, 2017 11:52 am
One thing I haven’t seen mentioned here are folks with natural gas stoves piped into the utility system. I have one and I know that’s it’s not going to work as an oven when the power goes out, even if natural gas keeps flowing because of the safety systems in the stove. The stove top WILL work as long as I can light it manually with a match or lighter. So anybody piped into natural gas should flip a circuit breaker and test their stoves now before a real emergency just so you can be aware of what works and what doesn’t…if you’re lucky and have an old style non-electric gas oven, I’m jealous!
And I almost have too many ways to cook post-SHTF – solar oven, propane grill, camping stove, Kelly kettle, a few rocket stoves, a few small charcoal grills, and a bunch of cast iron cookware if I have to fall back to campfires. Solar oven will be my go-to whenever the sun is out since it doesn’t use a limited fuel source, but I have layered backups just in case….
Statistics: Posted by dmwalsh568 — Wed Aug 09, 2017 9:15 am
One thing I haven’t seen mentioned here are folks with natural gas stoves piped into the utility system. I have one and I know that’s it’s not going to work as an oven when the power goes out, even if natural gas keeps flowing because of the safety systems in the stove. The stove top WILL work as long as I can light it manually with a match or lighter. So anybody piped into natural gas should flip a circuit breaker and test their stoves now before a real emergency just so you can be aware of what works and what doesn’t…if you’re lucky and have an old style non-electric gas oven, I’m jealous!
And I almost have too many ways to cook post-SHTF – solar oven, propane grill, camping stove, Kelly kettle, a few rocket stoves, a few small charcoal grills, and a bunch of cast iron cookware if I have to fall back to campfires. Solar oven will be my go-to whenever the sun is out since it doesn’t use a limited fuel source, but I have layered backups just in case….
Statistics: Posted by dmwalsh568 — Wed Aug 09, 2017 9:15 am
I wouldn’t trade a gas cook top for electric in BEST of times. Just cooks way better
Been through enough power outages to say I’d rather count on clean, quiet propane than a noisy gennie. I will run out gasoline way before propane. Propane keeps better, if I’m not using it.
ymmv
Statistics: Posted by arkieready — Tue Aug 08, 2017 8:44 pm
I wouldn’t trade a gas cook top for electric in BEST of times. Just cooks way better
Been through enough power outages to say I’d rather count on clean, quiet propane than a noisy gennie. I will run out gasoline way before propane. Propane keeps better, if I’m not using it.
ymmv
Statistics: Posted by arkieready — Tue Aug 08, 2017 8:44 pm
anita wrote:
If you’d like to can, be aware that you can’t do it on electric glass cooktops. I have a heavy-duty hotplate to can on. It works fine.
an electric hotplate is perfect for the pressure canner – get it up to preheat and you can regulate the heat output like a watch ….
Statistics: Posted by Illini Warrior — Sun Jul 30, 2017 7:18 am
anita wrote:
If you’d like to can, be aware that you can’t do it on electric glass cooktops. I have a heavy-duty hotplate to can on. It works fine.
an electric hotplate is perfect for the pressure canner – get it up to preheat and you can regulate the heat output like a watch ….
Statistics: Posted by Illini Warrior — Sun Jul 30, 2017 7:18 am
anita wrote:
If you’d like to can, be aware that you can’t do it on electric glass cooktops. I have a heavy-duty hotplate to can on. It works fine.
an electric hotplate is perfect for the pressure canner – get it up to preheat and you can regulate the heat output like a watch ….
Statistics: Posted by Illini Warrior — Sun Jul 30, 2017 7:18 am
I would keep serval options for cooking. Everyone like this or that. I’m not a fan of electric because of the hassle of grid, however it is very nice to cook on. I bush craft more than anything else so wood is the preferred fuel. I stockpile propane for convenience. I cook with electric at home ( on grid ) and have lost power for days at a time. I guess what I’m getting at is have a back-up for your back-up as far as food prep goes.
Statistics: Posted by Cumberland — Sat Jul 29, 2017 8:46 pm
I would keep serval options for cooking. Everyone like this or that. I’m not a fan of electric because of the hassle of grid, however it is very nice to cook on. I bush craft more than anything else so wood is the preferred fuel. I stockpile propane for convenience. I cook with electric at home ( on grid ) and have lost power for days at a time. I guess what I’m getting at is have a back-up for your back-up as far as food prep goes.
Statistics: Posted by Cumberland — Sat Jul 29, 2017 8:46 pm
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